Various embodiments of a blast and ballistic protection system are described herein. In particular, the embodiments described herein relate to a system for blast and ballistic protection for use on an exterior of an ISO container.
Protective armor typically is designed for several applications types: personal protection such as helmets and vests, vehicle protection such as for high mobility multi-wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs), and rigid structures such as buildings. The protection of troops, for example, housed in containerized housing units requires both blast and ballistic protection. Blast protection typically requires the material to have the structural integrity to withstand the high loads of blast pressure. Ballistic protection typically requires the material to stop the progress of bomb fragments ranging in size from less than one millimeter to 10 mm or more and traveling at velocities in excess of 2000 meters per second for smaller fragments.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) containers are commonly used to house soldiers, disaster relief workers, contractors, and others where temporary and rapidly deployable shelters are used. Additionally, containers are used for mobile medical units, command and control centers, communications, equipment storage, and the like. Many of these applications are located in areas exposed to threats such as car bombs, mortars, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), small arms fire, etc. Containers converted for these applications typically do not have systems for blast and fragmentation mitigation.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/244,407 to Dagher et al. discloses various embodiments of a blast mitigation and ballistic protection system and various embodiments of a protective composite panel 10, 10′. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/244,407 further discloses a blast mitigation and ballistic protection system 300 structured and configured to be mounted within the interior of the ISO container 302 for the protection of personnel and equipment. The system 300 includes a wall panel assembly 240, the composite panel 10, and a roof panel assembly 241. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/244,407 to Dagher et al. is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/699,872 to Dagher et al. discloses a tent ballistic protection system 100. The system 100 includes a plurality of composite panels 10, 10′, 10′, or 30 having a size and shape suitable for mounting to the interior vertical walls of a tent 114 having a frame 116.
FIG. 1 illustrates a known load-carrying element or frame 10 for box container as defined in ISO 1161. The frame 10 typically supports side walls, end walls (including at least one door 11), a floor, and a roof of the container, and is typically formed from steel. The frame 10 includes four corner posts 12, two lower side members 14, two upper side members 16, two lower cross members 18, two upper cross members typically configured as a front upper end member 20, and a door header 22. Fork lift openings 19 are formed in the lower cross members 18. Lower corner fittings or castings 24 are attached to the lower ends of the corner posts 12 and upper corner castings 25 are attached to the upper ends of the corner posts 12.
The shapes of the corner castings 24 and 25 are also defined in ISO 1161. The lower corner castings 24 include a substantially oval shaped opening 26 formed in the outwardly facing sides 28 of the castings 24.